Ben Nelson

Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson (17 May 1941-) was Governor of Nebraska from 9 January 1991 to 7 January 1999 (succeeding Kay A. Orr and preceding Mike Johanns) and a US Senator from 3 January 2001 to 3 January 2013 (succeeding Bob Kerrey and preceding Deb Fischer).

Biography
Ben Nelson was born in McCook, Nebraska in 1941, and he became a counsel for an Omaha insurance company before joining the Democratic Party. In 1990, he was elected Governor, and he adopted some conservative policies in his right-leaning state. He cut taxes for over 400,000 middle-income families in the state, cut state spending by 64%, and pushed for welfare reform. He launched a failed US Senate bid in 1996, but he was elected to the other Senate seat in 2000. In 2006, he won re-election after his likely Republican challenger Mike Johanns was appointed Secretary of Agriculture, preventing him from running. Nelson had a pro-life reputation and ensured that Obamacare did not include federal funding for abortions, and he opposed a full withdrawal from the Iraq War. He retired in 2012.